


words scented vanilla

by tongham



Category: Cravity (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Flirting, Fluff, Ice Cream Parlors, M/M, Summer Camp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:40:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25543003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tongham/pseuds/tongham
Summary: “and here you go,” hyeongjun says to wonjin, handing him a plastic spoon with some napkins. “enjoy, both of you!” hyeongjun transforms back into his customer-service version for a moment.“see you around, jjunie,” wonjin says just to make that façade crumble again. when he moves to chase after his cousin, toddling back in the direction of the parking lot (it’s an uncle of the year thing, he guesses), that’s when hyeongjun notices that something was off. when wonjin drops a blue-ink pen on the linoleum counter, hyeongjun spots the guest check pad moved from its original position, disrupting the feng shui of the parlor. he works way too much for his own good.when hyeongjun notices three digits, hyphen, four digits scribbled down, he has a great deal of trouble trying not to laugh aloud.this boy is the definition of shameless,hyeongjun thinks as he rips off the page, neatly folding it into a square and slipping it in the front pocket of his jeans.this fic has also been translated intorussian!!
Relationships: Ham Wonjin/Song Hyeongjun
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42





	words scented vanilla

**Author's Note:**

> finally living up to my pseud!!! we need more hamlem out there, they're the cutest.. i've had this little idea tucked away ever since pdx but then it made me sad to think about but now we're all good! even if miniham's closely approaching, hamlem will always be my #1 og,, they're just!!! yes!!!!!
> 
> super-super long but i hope u lot are into that. i'm doing camp nano and this was my main focus so i'm glad to have it done!! may be why it's also so long lol let's blame that and not the fact that writing this sucked me into ramblings about how much i love hamlem dynamic + minisong besties
> 
> title from milkshake by red velvet (poorly-translated but this sounds nice).

hyeongjun always thought it would be cute to work at the local park’s ice cream shop.

don’t get him wrong, he likes it enough and does his job well. he can make a pretty mean soft cone, always remembers to smile and use a polite tone of voice. he’s designated to take over when a customer is being rude, a joint effort of the goodness of his heart and his undeniable charm. but the hours are long, the tips are unreliable, and the amount of sweets he’s making each day are developing a deathly-unhealthy sweet tooth. not to mention that the small building lacks any semblance of air circulation, last renovated in what seems to be 1950.

but anyway, it’s not like he had a choice. hyeongjun has his sights set on law school, studying hard enough in his high school years to earn acceptances from top universities. as the third sibling sent down this path, the tap has begun to run dry but that won’t extinguish the song dynasty’s flame (nor hyeongjun’s own, flickering small but sure in his heart. he can get a bit hotheaded, his parents are lucky for that). as steep as the cheque is, hyeongjun is enrolled in his dream school for pre-law, student debt be damned.

it may not be the quietest or closest option, but hyeongjun has an attachment to the small shop as his first part-time job in high school. even as the shine wore off, there’s something about the atmosphere, the way it screams summertime, that ultimately makes hyeongjun happy to be there and has him coming back. serving up sundaes and splits for the wide-eyed reactions of small children admittedly does something to his heart, even after years of experience with an established routine and rhythm. where others have water in their bodies, hyeongjun has sap.

hyeongjun finishes his shift on a sweltering day at seven o’clock, long after his best friend, minhee, was released from the summer day camp he began working for on a whim. ever the saint, he’s waiting around to meet his best friend in the little overlapping free time of theirs.

“what, no strawberry swirl for your best friend?” is how he’s greeted when he finally sits down after six hours on his feet.

sending a glare in minhee’s direction, hyeongjun stretches grandly. “go get it yourself, no discount for you today.”

nodding in defeat, minhee slides away from the picnic bench and disappears from sight.

hyeongjun fiddles on his phone while waiting an unusually long time for the later hour, letting his mother know that he’s done of work and he’ll be home late because of date night with minhee. after that’s done, he takes a moment to himself, putting his phone face-down on the planks and nails to let the salty breeze absorb into his skin. it’s getting a bit chilly as the sun sets on another day, but he’s without a jacket this one time, cash and keys stuffed in the pocket of his jeans.

“bon appetit,” minhee says, snapping hyeongjun out of his train of thought as he plops down with his trusty strawberry swirl, a classic sprinkled cone for hyeongjun balanced in his other hand and a plastic bag of takeout containers slung across his forearm. “i got us a little something, don’t worry about it.”

rule-breaking teenagers they are, minhee and hyeongjun eat dessert first, accustomed to the small sacrifices of appetite in order to enjoy frozen treats as god intended. complete with a toast, the pair finish their ice cream quickly.

as hyeongjun’s neatly folding the paper sleeve from the cone, minhee tasks himself with unpacking dinner, styrofoam squeaking as he uncovers blt sandwiches from the nearby drive-in restaurant. hyeongjun’s eyes light up at the food, noting the extra serving of coleslaw which must be his own. “dinner’s ready,” minhee says simply.

“has anyone ever told you you’re the best friend ever?”

“no, because you’re my only best friend and you seem to be allergic to complimenting me.”

hyeongjun reaches across the table to shove his shoulder playfully. “just gotta make you work for it so i get treated like this.” taking a bite of coleslaw, hyeongjun looks at the elder boy. “thank you, minhee.”

“again, it’s no problem at all. now eat up before those fries get cold, you won’t want any vinegar if that’s the case.”

“okay, mom,” hyeongjun rolls his eyes a bit and returns to dinner. he likely doesn’t say it enough due to the nature of their friendship, but minhee truly is an extraordinary friend when he’s not being annoying. the two went through school together and the challenges of university distance are nothing in the face of their long-lasting friendship, surviving much worse in middle school.

“i’m really happy to have you back,” minhee says wistfully, breaking the silence.

“i never thought i’d see you be such a sap.” hyeongjun gently probes some french fries with his fork. “all for me?”

minhee points his own fork along with a plastic knife (minhee eats his sandwiches with forks and knives because he’s minhee) in hyeongjun’s direction. “be quiet. we were always together, of course i missed you. but i’m really happy for you above all, you’re so smart and i’m glad you’re able to go to the school you deserve to go to.”

“you seem so soft-hearted these days. are you seeing someone?”

minhee snorts. “no.”

“must be a crush, then.”

minhee visibly rolls his eyes at that remark, but there’s a tension in his muscles that hyeongjun acutely notices. it must amount to something, but he’s never one to push minhee to talk. how else would they have remained friends for so long?

dropping the subject, hyeongjun fills him in on his following schedule for the week and how it slots in with minhee’s static work hours. kinda like his winter break office jobs, hyeongjun begins to think before banishing those thoughts from his head. it’s summertime, it’s time to enjoy living life as he exchanges his labor and blood sugar levels for the post-secondary establishment.

* * *

hyeongjun first notices him on a tuesday in july.

he gets his break in mid-afternoon, snapping the lid off a tupperware-packed salad from home as he sits on a bench by the playground, too sensible to take up parlor and restaurant seating. at that time, a simple two-o’clock, dozens of young children storm the premises of the park. he recognizes the tacky purple shirts, scratchy and heavy according to his trusty intel, as minhee’s day camp. however, he’s absent for a stupid kang family reunion out of town (minhee’s words, not his. he draws the line at insulting his own flesh and blood, thank you very much).

there’s not even any time for hyeongjun to wonder how poorly minhee is suffering when his eyes land on this one counselor and refuse to leave. god, is he ever lucky he’s not using company time here. his hair is dyed a warm brown, one that complements his soft features and makes him all the more attractive in hyeongjun’s view.

it must be a special occasion today, because the children are approaching the parlor itself in small groups with one counselor each. his eyes turn back to that one counselor, who is crouching down to talk to one of his assigned children sulking in the public gardens. too distant to hear, hyeongjun sees lips moving before the kid accepts the hand he’s offering. hyeongjun’s heart melts into a little puddle on the searing concrete.

before he even realizes, his fork is dropped and forgotten in a mixture of lettuce and a little too much ranch dressing, reflexively reaching to slip his phone out of his back pocket and open a conversation with minhee.

_why did you never tell me one of your counselors is fine as hell_

_HELLO?_

_i thought you were sending an “i miss you” text_

_ha_

_stop thirsting over my coworker and get back to work_

_can i at least befriend him :(_

_fine_

_o my break’s over now bbl_

_have a nice shift thinking of counselor dreamboat instead of your bff </3 _

_i hate you_

_BE SUPPORTIVE!_

_but bye luv ya mini_

* * *

“welcome to my humble abode, now spill.”

hyeongjun welcomes himself into minhee’s house, dropping by after his shift on the day the elder returned from his little vacation. “at least act like you’re surprised to see me.”

“by golly, hyeongjun, i totally didn’t expect you today when you constantly “surprise” me with visits whenever i’ve been out of town for more than twelve hours.”

“thank you.” hyeongjun bows his head in acknowledgement. “you may continue.”

“okay, so i was thinking and i’m pretty sure i know who you were talking about on tuesday, but i just wanna make sure,” minhee says, distractedly scrolling through his phone as he lands on his bed. “what does he look like?”

“attractive,” hyeongjun says dizzily, sitting down next to his friend.

“i was out of town that day, try again.”

hyeongjun pushes minhee off the bed. minhee just dusts himself off wordlessly and hops back on the mattress. “his hair was dyed brown.”

“oh, ham wonjin?” hyeongjun takes a moment to turn that name around in his head. “he’s been a counselor since he was in high school, he went there as a kid.”

“okay, so what’s he like? do you know him well?”

“i actually do,” minhee says proudly and hyeongjun scowls, already imagining the foreseen downsides to that. “he loves to bully me too so you two would get along just fine. and he’s great with the kids, he’d be able to take care of you.”

“i don’t need to be taken care of,” hyeongjun says, not without a slight pout. 

minhee shoots him a knowing glance at that action. hyeongjun consciously tones it down a bit. “but you want to be taken care of. i know you, hyeongjun.”

“do you know if he’s taken? or straight?”

minhee laughs at that. “he’s not straight, i can tell you that. he’s never mentioned a significant other among all his unwarranted boring stories. he’s second-year, by the way,” minhee follows up. ”i made the mistake of assuming his age on my first day.” the taller boy winces at the mention of the episode.

“but you’re still calling him informally?”

“hyeongjun, have you not noticed that i call everyone informally?”

“must be a side effect with the mental age of 80.”

“or his side effect with the mental age of 8,” minhee laughs shortly. “he’s quite something, hyeongjun, but i think you’ll like him and that he’ll like you.”

“oh, look at you, matchmaker! i’ve never seen you like this, i’m surprised you’re actually being helpful.”

“what kind of best friend would that make me?”

“thank you,” hyeongjun says, pulling minhee into a short hug before his tone turns teasing. “you must really miss having me around, huh?”

“no,” minhee protests as his arms tell a different story, tightening their hold around hyeongjun. the smaller boy can’t even try fighting the smile off his face.

* * *

hyeongjun finishes his shift for the day, 50 thousand more won toward his second-year tuition, and rewards himself with some free photosynthesis in the green grass. the knots in his joints and the poor lighting of the parlor often make him forget that he’s at the prime place in town to soak up some sunshine. the afternoon rush humming in the background, hyeongjun’s personal high-schooler protege, seongmin, and his best friend-slash-something more, taeyoung, are managing the queue of customers.

as he stretches out his shoulders, a little girl holding a bouquet of daisies in her small fist approaches. “hi!” she says enthusiastically.

hyeongjun won’t lie, he’s a bit confused here, but he’s always one to play along with adorable kids. the flowers don’t hurt either. “are these for me?” she nods in agreement and hyeongjun accepts them. “they’re so pretty, thank you!” wanting to entertain more, hyeongjun is struck by inspiration. “come here, i wanna give one to you.”

the girl laughs gleefully as hyeongjun focuses on tucking a daisy behind her ear. “can i give one to you like that too?”

weak for the joy expressed, hyeongjun nods with a smile. small fingers in curly hair, hyeongjun is soon donning a matching daisy. as he gives her a hug, he notices wonjin jogging over from over her shoulder. must be one of the kids from their camp gone rogue.

when wonjin reaches them, he crouches down to talk quietly to the girl. “don’t run off like that again, okay? and don’t talk to strangers, alright?” even as he lectures, wonjin’s voice still sounds soft and hyeongjun’s heart grows three sizes. “sorry about that, hyeongjun,” he says, this time directed at the boy. when they meet eyes, hyeongjun selfishly hopes the flowers in his hair make him look ethereal in wonjin’s eyes.

“no worries, it was cute.” hyeongjun pauses before realization sets in. “wait, how do you know my name?”

“you’re still wearing your nametag,” wonjin says quietly and hyeongjun lets a little _oh_ slip. “and i recognize you from your job over there. the camp comes here a lot.”

“yeah, i noticed,” hyeongjun says, feigning nonchalance as his heart speeds up a little bit at wonjin’s admission.

“okay, well, i’ll just take her here.” picking the girl up in his arms, wonjin directs his attention back to her. “it’s time to go home, your parents will be here soon.” and then, turning back to hyeongjun in the grass, “my name’s wonjin, by the way. hope to see you around.” hyeongjun doesn’t miss the subtleties in the wording there.

“don’t talk to strangers, wonjin,” a small voice pitches in and they both burst into laughter.

* * *

“minhee,” hyeongjun slides onto the picnic bench occupied by his friend, “i think i like-like wonjin.”

“what are we, middle-schoolers?”

“it’s just an observation,” hyeongjun mumbles.

“okay, so what happened then?”

“we talked a little bit yesterday. a very little bit.” hyeongjun demonstrates the brevity through his gestures, pinching his fingers together, hoping minhee will go easy on him.

“oh, i did notice that he disappeared for a bit there,” minhee comments before the prodding begins. “details, jjun.”

taking a breath to steady himself, hyeongjun begins. “he knows my name. i was wearing my nametag” – minhee rolls his eyes and hyeongjun catches that – “but still! he said he recognized me from the parlor. and he said he hopes to see me around, that’s an exact quote.”

hyeongjun holds his breath in anticipation, waiting expectantly for minhee’s final verdict. after a five-mile silence, minhee simply laughs. “god, he truly is straightforward. he definitely likes you, hyeongjun.”

“but what if he was just being nice?”

“wonjin doesn’t just be nice, trust me. he has to have an ulterior motive here and it sounds a lot like yours.” minhee takes a deep breath and hyeongjun senses a change of tone in their conversation. “hyeongjun, how long have we been best friends?”

“thirteen years.”

“and how many times have i lied to you?”

“well, you lied to me about raiding my lunchbox at least once a week in fifth grade, you always play along and distract me for my surprise birthday parties, you –”

“no, about real stuff! discounting silly things, have i ever lied to you about something like my opinion on one of your crushes?” hyeongjun shakes his head silently. “have i ever got your hopes up just for you to be let down?”

“to be fair, you did end up buying scalper tickets to –”

“shush,” minhee silences the younger boy, holding a finger near his lips and hyeongjun attempts a bite. “i know this is our thing, but you know i’ve always prided myself on being your moral compass” – hyeongjun snorts – “and do you think i want to see you brokenhearted? do you not know how much that hurts me?”

“you’re asking a lot of questions today.”

“answer me, jjun,” minhee says with uncharacteristic sobreity.

speechless at the honesty and affection from his best friend, hyeongjun stares at minhee in silence as he makes up his mind. “okay, i trust you. i’ll do something. i promise.”

“unless he does something first. don’t count him out, he’s an aries.”

“what does that even mean?”

minhee rolls his eyes but not without a smile. “you wouldn’t get it.”

* * *

sometimes, hyeongjun actually goes to his workplace for recreational reasons. crazy, he knows. but he needs his own sugar fix every once in a while and there’s not many options in this town. might as well take advantage of the parlor in its open season.

he’s on his own this time, equipped with ice cream requests from his (very bossy) older sisters. as he waits around for the line to disperse, a small chocolate poodle on a far-extended leash begins to sniff at hyeongjun’s shoes.

another thing hyeongjun is weak for: puppies. he’s reaching down to introduce himself with a proper sniffing opportunity, but they are shortly interrupted by an exaggerated cough. hyeongjun looks up and is met with the sight of none other than wonjin, of course. thank god minhee isn’t here to smack him immediately.

“oh. hi,” hyeongjun says dumbly and he really wishes minhee were here to smack him immediately. “i didn’t know you have a dog.”

“yeah, this is lulu. you remind me of her,” wonjin says with a smile much too enthusiastic to mean nothing (source of this analysis? none other than song hyeongjun and song hyeongjun only).

hyeongjun furrows his eyebrows, not knowing quite how to take that, wanting to prod further to figure wonjin out. “thanks?”

a small laugh bubbles from wonjin’s lips and hyeongjun wants to capture that small sound. “i know it sounds weird, but take it as a compliment! i think she’s the cutest thing in the world.”

okay, wonjin may or may not have just that implied that, at least in his eyes, hyeongjun is the cutest thing in the world but he elects to ignore the comment for clarity of mind. instead, he holds out the hand for lulu to sniff experimentally. quickly approving, the pup nuzzles her head against hyeongjun, asking for pets.

cooing at the cuteness, hyeongjun is startled by wonjin’s voice. “i’ll take it as a good sign that she trusts you.”

hyeongjun looks up, hoping that his wide eyes are sparkling as he wishes. “i love dogs, you should’ve brought her around earlier.”

“well, i’ll certainly bring her out more often now.” hyeongjun can’t vouch for his own appearance, but wonjin’s eyes definitely have those sparkles he’s talking about, the ones that tell him he’s just as interested in hyeongjun and give him just the smallest sliver of courage.

god, hyeongjun can’t wait to gloat to minhee about this.

* * *

wonjin shows up again. one night, looking cozy and absolutely adorable in a fleece hoodie, lifting up a younger boy to investigate the menu, using much more strength than he thinks he’s showing and hyeongjun can tell. it’s cute. all of this is cute, completely unlike any other side of wonjin he’s glimpsed before.

when they arrive at the counter, wonjin smiles upon seeing hyeongjun. “hi, jjunie!”

“jjunie?” hyeongjun says skeptically, feigning protest as a little form of hard-to-get. wonjin may have a year on him, but hyeongjun’s charms have been tried and tested on people of all demographics.

just like that, his cheeks pinken. hyeongjun’s still got it. “yeah, is that alright?”

“it’s nice. i like it.” reaching to fiddle with the sleeves of his uniform, he remembers he has a job to do, no matter how unbusy this friday night is. “what can i get for your special guest today?” he directs his attention to the boy with wonjin.

“chocolate ice cream! in a waffle cone.”

“say ‘please,’” wonjin encourages him with a loud whisper in his ear.

“please.” the small boy says obediently, flashing puppy eyes at hyeongjun and he laughs at the little exchange, admiring wonjin’s coached manners.

“little cousin,” explains wonjin. “he has a few sleepovers with his favorite uncle every summer. don’t you, bud?”

“that’s cute,” hyeongjun says mindlessly and wonjin looks back at him quizzically. hyeongjun can’t be bothered to care anymore. “anything for you today?”

“the usual.” hyeongjun raises his eyebrows in question, baffled that wonjin expects him to remember his usual. “large strawberry sundae.”

“that’s quite the carbon footprint on you,” hyeongjun simply tsks before turning away to prepare the treats.

hands stinging with a faint frost from the metal ice cream scoop (their store manager says it’s ‘authentic’ but hyeongjun thinks it’s just yet another torture device), he indulges in the reaction of wonjin’s young cousin. he thanks hyeongjun enthusiastically which is the cutest thing, bringing a smile to his face. god, he loves his job.

“and here you go,” hyeongjun says to wonjin, handing him a plastic spoon with some napkins. “enjoy, both of you!” hyeongjun transforms back into his customer-service version for a moment.

“see you around, jjunie,” wonjin says just to make that façade crumble again. when he moves to chase after his cousin, toddling back in the direction of the parking lot (it’s an uncle of the year thing, he guesses), that’s when hyeongjun notices that something was off. when wonjin drops a blue-ink pen on the linoleum counter, hyeongjun spots the guest check pad moved from its original position, disrupting the feng shui of the parlor. he works way too much for his own good.

when hyeongjun notices three digits, hyphen, four digits scribbled down, he has a great deal of trouble trying not to laugh aloud. _this boy is the definition of shameless_ , hyeongjun thinks as he rips off the page, neatly folding it into a square and slipping it in the front pocket of his jeans.

* * *

minhee laughs for five minutes straight when hyeongjun tells him about wonjin’s number and the associated situation.

“flirting? with children present? he’s crazy.” minhee shakes his head in disbelief as it falls back on the mattress of his bed.

“every single one of our encounters has included children. they’re unavoidable little ones.”

“i don’t even have his number yet and i’m closest to him among all the counselors at camp. he must really like you.”

“or maybe he has a hunch about your flakiness and knows it wouldn’t even be worth it.”

“did you keep it?” minhee asks a stupid question, so obvious that hyeongjun rolls his eyes.

“of course i did, my crush’s number fell right into my lap!” hyeongjun flashes the paper. “would today be a good day to text him?”

“you do understand that he can’t text first, right? i think you should. right now.”

“because you want to watch,” hyeongjun says flatly, not even a question.

“exactly.”

the smaller boy unlocks his phone, scrolling through his contacts (he immediately saved wonjin’s number just in case, screw him). saved simply as _wonjin_ because he’s not about to embarrass himself here, hyeongjun stares at the empty conversation, the letters of the keyboard. “where to now?”

“don’t overthink it. you talk with him pretty easily face-to-face, right? just pretend you’re in that situation, except you’re not.”

“thanks,” hyeongjun snorts before a sigh leaves him. “but why do i actually find this more difficult?”

“hey,” minhee gives him a pat on the back (much too forcefully but whatever), “you can do it. try asking for confirmation first?”

hyeongjun nods silently, hands going to work.

_hi, is this ham wonjin?_

a small _whoosh_ echoes off the walls of minhee’s room and hyeongjun quickly flicks off his ringer, much too anxious to deal with the audio stimulation.

following a moment of bated silence, hyeongjun’s phone screen lights up from its spot on minhee’s bedsheets. rushing to grab it before his friend, hyeongjun types in his passcode to a couple of messages.

_speaking_

_well. typing actually_

minhee hovering over the screen, in hyeongjun’s space, he laughs. “loser.”

“he’s so cute,” says hyeongjun coincidingly, typing a reply without much second thought. following minhee’s advice to a t.

_ok great! didn’t want you to be pranking me there_

_lol i would never_

_anyway_

“cut to the chase, jjun,” minhee coaches and hyeongjun sighs loud enough to grate him, still obliging.

_why did you give me your number?_

_we keep running into each other so i was thinking we could actually start hanging out? maybe become friends?_

shoving minhee away (down onto his own bedroom floor again), hyeongjun smiles to himself, keeping this acutely-meaningful moment private.

_oh that would be nice!! i’d like that_

_yeah? :D_

_yeah :D_

_did your cousin enjoy his ice cream?_

_yeah he loved it!! mine was really good too_

_thanks jjunie <3 _

hyeongjun’s heart skips a beat at the use of that nickname again, remembering his verbal approval from the night before. stomping little stomps with his socked feet, hyeongjun’s excitement catches the attention of minhee.

“what did loverboy say to sweep you off your feet this time?”

“nothing,” hyeongjun lies, flashing his screen as cold proof.

minhee, with his god-awful eyesight, squints at the light before a smile works its way onto his face. “jjunie? he already gave you a nickname?”

“yeah,” hyeongjun says breathlessly, so obviously affected but he doesn’t care. when hyeongjun turns the screen toward himself again, three dots appear and he has a hard time keeping himself upright.

_what are your hours this weekend?_

“oh my god, is he gonna take you on a date already?” minhee says loudly in hyeongjun’s ear. the younger boy startles, committing his fifth act of violence of the night as he nudges minhee hard with his shoulder.

_6-12 saturday and 10-4 sunday, why?_

_just wanna know when’s the best time to drop by :)_

hyeongjun sighs, unable to suppress the small ball of disappointment in his chest even as the joy of wonjin wanting to see him more often expands in its place. “thanks for getting my hopes up.”

“he probably just wants to ask you in person,” reassures minhee. “he doesn’t really like texting in general.”

letting his body fall back onto the mattress, hyeongjun stares at the ceiling in dramatics but not before letting his phone screen obstruct his view for a moment.

_see you then!! hopefully <3 _

_you can count on it_

even in the absence of any cute emoticons or the like, hyeongjun’s small smile splits into a grin for the first time that day.

* * *

hyeongjun’s saturday shift brings along remarkably slow traffic due to the weather, a rainy day fading into nightfall with a heavy and uncomfortable air to it. hyeongjun finds himself staring at the analog clock much too often, sighing as the hands tick impossibly slow, tauntingly audible in this quiet night. as unbearable as the interior environment of the parlor may be, he keeps pushing down the windowpane to escape the shivers from the rain-permeated air and lack of movement.

when the clock strikes 10:30, half an hour before closing, hyeongjun begins collecting the ice cream scoops from their respective tubs to wash them, just for something to do. the steam of the scalding water won’t hurt, either.

as he shoves one of the final metal scoops in the cleaning bucket, he acutely hears frantic tapping. assuming it’s just seagulls on the metal roofing panels, hyeongjun tunes it out as he continues with his rhythm. what causes him to stop and reconsider is when it becomes much louder, a familiar sound of patrons knocking on the glass. an exhausted hyeongjun rushes to the window, easily pulling up the handle, not locked yet.

“hey,” a familiar voice says when his eyes land on wonjin. after a long silence in which hyeongjun can do nothing but stare at the other boy, he adds on. “i said i’d come see you, didn’t i?”

hyeongjun has a hard time catching his breath when wonjin smiles up at him, bright and blindingly sincere. “hi,” he says dumbly. “you’re here.”

“of course i am, need my sugar fix from none other than song hyeongjun. large lemon-swirl cone?”

“oh, switching it up today?”

“the kids were wild yesterday. something about the full moon?”

hyeongjun laughs easily. “i’m sure you’re doing your best, dealing with kids isn’t easy.”

“likely easier than dealing with entitled boomers.”

“i’ll be back,” hyeongjun says shortly and wonjin nods in accordance. it’s hard for him not to feel wonjin’s gaze follow him as he gets the machine running, first testing the quality of the ice cream in a metal cup.

wrapping a napkin around the base, hyeongjun hands the towering cone of vanilla with streaks of yellow to the waiting hands of the elder, whose eyes light up like a child’s. hyeongjun laughs inwardly at that.

eating the cone in silence, wonjin doesn’t leave hyeongjun’s sight for the next few minutes. somehow, hyeongjun isn’t annoyed at the occupancy of his time. instead, he takes the time to restock sprinkles and crushed peanuts, supplies kept up front and hyeongjun kept in wonjin’s comfortable presence.

“we haven’t formally introduced ourselves yet, have we?” wonjin breaks the silence first, sticking a hand through the small opening. “i’m ham wonjin, 20 years old.”

hyeongjun takes up wonjin’s offer, playing along with his formalities. “and i’m song hyeongjun, 18.”

“first year of uni?”

hyeongjun nods.

“i’m in my second.” hyeongjun already knew that. “do you go to school around here?”

hyeongjun shakes his head. “what do you study?”

“acting,” says wonjin quietly.

“oh, that’s really cool!” hyeongjun reacts enthusiastically, bringing a smile to the elder’s face which was bordering on something shy. he keeps a mental note to be extra-cheerful around wonjin, he wants to keep seeing that. “i’m in pre-law. not as exciting.”

“hey, it can be if you want it to be! do you personally like it?”

hyeongjun pauses to think. “actually, i really do.”

the response makes another smile appear on wonjin’s face. “that’s great.”

feeling time slip away, hyeongjun moves away to take another glance at the clock. 10:45. “we’re closing in 15 minutes,” hyeongjun says idly.

“perfect.” wonjin smiles back understandingly. “did you already empty the outdoor garbages?”

hyeongjun nods and wonjin hands him the napkin and paper sleeve from his cone, folded so smally that their fingers brush for a moment.

wonjin flashes him one last smile, hands retreating into the sleeves of his hoodie. “see you later, jjunie.”

“see you,” hyeongjun says shortly, crouching down and waving through the window.

he watches wonjin’s figure retreat and, once his car has certainly pulled away, hyeongjun rests his back against the wall and looks to the heavens, thanking the gods for bringing wonjin into his life.

* * *

_how was your day today??_

_pretty good!_

_oo anything special happen?_

_nope! just my normal wednesday but i’m in a good mood_

_that’s good :D_

texting with wonjin has quickly become one of hyeongjun’s habits, as natural as the recital of his very specific preference in pizza toppings or his late-night detour on the way home from work.

minhee isn’t taking the new friendship well. “i swear to god, are you texting wonjin? i have to deal with him glued to his phone at work all day and now my childhood best friend is ignoring me for him.”

“oh, shut up, you’re not gonna die without attention.”

“and that’s where you’re wrong,” minhee exclaims, fainting onto hyeongjun’s bedroom floor. “please show some sympathy, i was almost eaten by a goose today.”

hyeongjun stares minhee down, challenging him to explain what that even means. he gives up when minhee just stares back obliviously, widening his eyes as if to ask _what?_ “whatever, not gonna ask about that.”

_thank you for asking btw_

_no need to thank me!! i just wanna know_

_was camp good today?_

_yeah!! we took the kids to the lake, they had fun_

_lose any of them this time?_

_of course not! they were all on their best behaviour_

_one of the counselors even got chased by a goose lol_

“okay, now you really need to explain the goose thing,” hyeongjun says upon reading wonjin’s text.

minhee scoots over to read the screen and groans. “god, i’m going to become one of wonjin’s stories? who does he think he is, telling others about my trauma?”

“to be fair, you dropped the goose thing yourself. now shut up, wonjin’s waiting.”

_NO WAY_

_i wish i was there to see that_

_it was hilarious_

hyeongjun may be lying just a bit as he redacts crucial information about knowing minhee and everything, but he can confidently and honestly send the second text. why couldn’t that have happened at the bay? there are plenty of geese terrorizing the parlor and its patr –

_actually_

_come to think of it, i think you two could be good friends! he’s the same age as you_

_oh really?_

“you shouldn’t lie, hyeongjun.” minhee suddenly appears over his shoulder. hyeongjun can’t tell if his best friend is playing angel or devil in this situation.

“i’m just leaving out some details,” hyeongjun reasons out. “i see this leading to something so just play along, i wanna land my date.”

_what’s he like?_

_annoying tbh_

hyeongjun laughs aloud. if he didn’t already know it was minhee, that just nailed it.

_but he has a good sense of humor_

_maybe we could arrange something this weekend? i’m not working sunday_

_oh that would be perfect!!_

“ _you_ asked _him_ out first?” minhee asks much too loudly. hyeongjun hopes his mother didn’t hear that.

“you’re going to be there, that makes it the complete opposite of a date,” the younger boy retorts.

_can’t wait to see you jjunie <3 _

_and your counselor friend?_

_i’ll tell him about it rn!! how does 7pm work?_

_perfect_

_see you then wonjin_

as promised, minhee’s phone lights up from its place across the room. bones creaking like the senior citizen he is (hyeongjun swears he worries about his friend’s health sometimes), he rises to check for the fateful text. hyeongjun stays in place, frozen by nerves.

“sorry, wonjin, i plan on walking my fish that day,” minhee mumbles, tapping away on his phone.

hyeongjun knows he’s just messing with him, but he still lunges to check over minhee’s response.

the taller boy just laughs at that. “relax, i just said i can’t wait to meet you. you’re welcome for the date, by the way.”

* * *

“listen, jjun, i get that you’re nervous but” – minhee slaps a hand down on hyeongjun’s knee, stilling his jittery leg – “you’re giving me major anxiety here.”

“sorry,” hyeongjun mumbles. minhee slowly removes his hand to a moment of stillness before the other boy’s nerves catch up to him again. catching the stern gaze of his best friend, hyeongjun wills his leg to stop with a small scowl.

“don’t worry, i’m not going to embarrass you. i have nothing but glowing reviews of song hyeongjun to tell wonjin all about.” call hyeongjun what he is (a fool), but he feels he can trust minhee with that at the very least.

in that moment, hyeongjun spots wonjin’s recognizable vehicle from across the parking lot. turning his back on the ocean, he sits forward with hands clasped together.

minhee is snapped out of his anecdotal ramblings with a hard nudge on the shoulder, replicating hyeongjun’s posture of anticipation.

after a time much too extended, wonjin reaches their picnic table and seats himself with a kind smile, as radiant as ever. god, hyeongjun really needs to get it together. “hi! minhee, this is hyeongjun and hyeongjun, this is minhee! looks like you two are getting along already.”

hyeongjun moves to explain, but minhee’s big mouth beats him to it. “actually, it turns out we know each other! i went to school with hyeongjun, he’s actually my best friend.”

wonjin laughs tinkly, just the way hyeongjun loves it. “small world, huh? i should’ve known you two probably knew each other in this town,” says wonjin, visibly amused by the coincidence. “did you have dinner yet?”

they both shake their heads, minhee speaking up. “what do you two want? i’ll go fetch it.”

upon collecting order detail, a death glare from hyeongjun, and three 10,000 won bills courtesy of wonjin, minhee and his poor short-term memory are well on their way across the bay.

“i’ll be surprised if he gets any one order right,” wonjin says once he’s out of earshot.

hyeongjun laughs smally at that. “now that he’s gone, do you have any blackmail-worthy stories about minhee as a counselor? all due respect to him but i never thought he was cut out for that type of work.”

with a small smile, wonjin shakes his head. “there’s the goose thing but you already know about that. don’t worry about him, he’s doing fine. so long as you’re a kid at heart, you make a good counselor. he’s pretty good at baseball, too. it’s fun to give the kids a chance to play sports instead of sending them off to entertain themselves.”

hyeongjun listens attentively, sinking in a bit deeper with each word. “that’s good to hear,” he says shortly, no more words needed.

“how did you become friends with minhee?” asks wonjin.

“i’ve been stuck with him since kindergarten,” hyeongjun laments, pulling a laugh out of wonjin. “the one kid who wouldn’t let me sulk in peace.”

“cute,” wonjin says quietly and his eyes quickly dart up to meet hyeongjun’s. locked in tension for a moment, hyeongjun eventually softens his expression and smiles at wonjin.

“sorry to third-wheel but i’m back and i have food!” minhee exclaims and hyeongjun falls back into a scowl, cursing him out in his mind for ruining a moment.

“thanks, mini,” wonjin says and hyeongjun feels a flash of jealousy at that nickname, at the way he looks up at minhee with sparkles in his eyes. it’s not that hyeongjun thinks that wonjin likes his best friend like that, he’s just beginning to wonder if wonjin treats everyone special, an offshoot of his soft heart.

hyeongjun quickly represses those emotions, focusing on the food sprawled across the table. locating his order, he slides it over to himself. “no extra coleslaw this time? i see how it is, kang minhee.”

he notices a small smile quirk onto wonjin’s lips from across the table, shortly replaced by furrowed brows as he investigates the burgers. “uh, minhee? both of these have tomato.”

“pick them off, kid,” minhee says offhandishly and hyeongjun can’t help but smile. wonjin doesn’t eat his vegetables? cute. yeah, childish, but mostly cute in hyeongjun’s eyes, when it comes to wonjin.

stretching to the sky, hyeongjun dives into his dinner and conversation with wonjin and minhee. the two counselors have quite the interesting dynamic and hyeongjun enjoys sitting back, watching it unfold as minhee sharply defends himself from wonjin’s teasing.

“oh, the sun’s setting now!” wonjin exclaims and hyeongjun can’t help but smile at the wonder laced in his tone.

(regretfully) turning away from his crush, hyeongjun gets his own view of the pinks and yellows adorning the clouds. “it’s so pretty,” he says quietly. he typically sees this scene from the small parlor window, considers it a bonus to his closing shift, now experiencing it differently with special people. it makes hyeongjun’s heart feels warm.

“yeah,” wonjin says shortly, looking directly at hyeongjun when he faces forward again. hyeongjun isn’t sure of it, but he may be blushing.

“well, i better get going now. my brother’s home this week and i have to spend time with him.” minhee scrunches his nose in disgust. wonjin laughs shortly.

“guess that’s my cue too,” hyeongjun slides out alongside minhee, “because _someone_ still doesn’t have their license.”

“hey, don’t license-shame me!”

“you’re the one who doesn’t go to school in a city,” hyeongjun sighs before offering one last look at wonjin. “today was nice. thanks, wonjin.”

wonjin doesn’t say anything – he doesn’t need to – and hyeongjun’s lingering envy melts away when the boy smiles up at him, sweet as honey with eyes glimmering.

* * *

“wonjin’s a liar,” minhee says immediately upon fastening his seatbelt in hyeongjun’s car.

“huh?” the driver’s wrist stutters, causing him to grumble and put a bit more focus into starting the engine.

“he knows that we’re friends. we’ve talked about you before.”

“what did you tell him about me?” hyeongjun asks, a fool for thinking that will warrant any clear answer from minhee.

“oh, you know, the basics. clingy, jealous, selfish –”

“shut up.” hyeongjun presses the brake a bit too strongly, indulging in the sight of minhee’s figure flying into the dashboard.

“i’m not giving you any details, this is for you two to sort among yourselves. i never told him about any one conversation we had and i live by that.”

“well, has he ever even asked?” asks hyeongjun impatiently.

“no, he’s not as annoying as you.” hyeongjun still makes the time to shove minhee as he drives. “he pieced it together that we’re friends one day when we were at the park but he just sits on that info. he isn’t nosy, i think you’ll like that about him.”

hyeongjun drives in silence as evening clouds fall over the sky. after an extended pause, he speaks up again. “sorry if it seemed like i was pushing you then. i’m just dying to know what he actually thinks of me.”

“no worries, i get it. don’t stress over it too much. you’re song hyeongjun, everyone loves you.”

“but what does it matter if the person i like doesn’t like me back?” hyeongjun’s voice falters and minhee shifts in the passenger seat.

“listen, jjun.” the younger boy keeps his eyes fixed on the road but he feels the warm hand of a friend come to rest on his shoulder. “if he doesn’t already like you, he’s going to. i will third-wheel my entire life until you two get together.”

hyeongjun’s eyes shift and beyond minhee’s signature comedy, he sees comfortable sincerity written on the face of his best friend. with the warmth of his support settling in his stomach, hyeongjun guards his silence all the way to minhee’s house, letting his thoughts slow down to the hum of the road and minhee’s electropop playlist turned low.

* * *

“jjunie!”

hyeongjun can’t help but smile like a fool when he hears that nickname called out on a sunny wednesday, his indicator that the day camp has made yet another frequent stop. “what did the kids earn today?”

“small soft cones, 18 of them.”

“no problem, just call them all over and get them to line up when you lot are leaving.”

“noted,” wonjin says with a nod. he doesn’t leave. “how many hours do you work a week?”

hyeongjun pauses to think about it. “somewhere between 30 and 40, why?”

wonjin clicks his tongue, brows furrowing. “you work too much for your own good.”

“yeah, well, law school isn’t cheap.” hyeongjun hopes wonjin can handle his snarkier side, understands he has no ill intent in that jab. he believes he will.

and that’s when wonjin delivers the knockout. “will you take a day off if i take you on a date?”

hyeongjun drops the individually-wrapped straws he was fiddling with. “excuse me?”

wonjin’s eyes widen, taking those two words the wrong way, hyeongjun’s exact fear with his kneejerk reaction. “oh, no, sorry, i was just kidding –”

“really? that’s too bad because i’d actually take up your offer.”

continually frazzled, wonjin’s eyes widen again. lord forgive him for playing with this boy’s feelings, hyeongjun has always been one to indulge in cuteness. “are you serious?”

hyeongjun nods enthusiastically, in such a way that could never be misinterpreted, a smile on his face that wonjin mirrors upon confirmation.

“that’s great! how about next saturday?”

“i’ll schedule the whole day off, as you wish.”

without another word, perfectly concluded, wonjin flashes another smile hyeongjun’s way and leaves his vision with a small wave, retreating to join the baseball game starting in the field parallel to the parlor.

and if hyeongjun uses his time away from the patrons to stare at wonjin, attractive and competitive and encouraging to the kids, there are no other coworkers to testify so did it even happen?

* * *

_wonjin’s on his way now_

_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_

_indoor voice, jjun_

_sorry :(_

_now stop texting me and go get your man!!!_

fixing his bangs once more in the mirror, hyeongjun lets out a sigh somewhere between nerves and satisfaction. as he moves to clean the corpses of rejected outfit options, a voice much too familiar echoes up the staircase. abandoning the pile of tees on his bed, hyeongjun descends the stairs as quickly as possible without running the risk of wiping out.

“hey,” he says shortly to a smiling wonjin before pulling his mother into a short hug. hyeongjun hears a mumbled _cute_ from wonjin and his face goes warm.

“i’ll have him home by eight,” wonjin says and his mother laughs shortly, hyeongjun’s chest tightening uselessly at the clichéd words. the younger boy doesn’t even have time to dwell on its meaning when his mother begins urging them out the door, wonjin laughing high and grabbing hyeongjun’s wrist to pull him along.

* * *

hyeongjun’s a fan of significance and the understated. safe to say wonjin played into that with his idea of a picnic on the bay, the first meeting spot they both frequent.

as hyeongjun comes to know, the trunk of wonjin’s car plays host to the picnic part of the date (hyeongjun can call it such as shorthand, right?), stocked with a cooler and lunchboxes for them both.

“oh, you came very well-prepared,” hyeongjun says as he smooths the blanket over the green grass, distant from the bustle of the drive-in and disruptive sea breeze.

wonjin laughs shortly, dropping the cooler nearby. “of course, that’s what camp counselors do.”

“you must be really good at your job.”

“not as good as you are at yours.” hyeongjun quirks an eyebrow at that. wonjin catches his gaze and the unspoken cue for an explanation. “someone as refreshing as you is meant to work at an ice cream parlor.”

“refreshing, huh?” hyeongjun questions, fighting back a smile. not one he hears often but it works.

wonjin smiles wordlessly and hands hyeongjun a sandwich.

“ciabatta, fancy,” and wonjin laughs again. bothered by the questions floating around his mind, hyeongjun lets them out. “why do you keep laughing at everything i say?”

wonjin kindly meets his eyes. “i’m just really happy to be with you right now.”

hyeongjun reciprocates his gaze with a warm smile before turning his attention back to their meal, lips quirking up when he notices a little addition on his sandwich. “i thought you didn’t like tomatoes?”

“i’m surprised you remembered that,” wonjin chuckles. “i asked minhee and he said you’re not picky so i made sure you got one.”

hyeongjun sits in silence for a moment, absorbing the information. “you made a special sandwich for me?”

“made my first ever tomato purchase for you,” wonjin says with a small grimace. _this is it,_ hyeongjun thinks, _this must be what true love is._

“thank you.” hyeongjun expresses his gratitude quietly. he thinks that wonjin didn’t catch it.

“wait, that’s not all! look in here.” wonjin excitedly hands an insulated bag to hyeongjun, who peeks in to see none other than his one true love: coleslaw. “sorry that it’s store-bought, i didn’t wanna mess it up.”

“no, no, don’t apologize.” hyeongjun shakes his head acutely, eyes flickering back to wonjin. “thank you, wonjin.” he says it loud enough this time, knows that wonjin is listening. “it means a lot to me that you remembered the little things.”

at those words, wonjin’s small smile spreads into a grin and hyeongjun feels like he’s finally winning.

* * *

“hyeongjun?” wonjin asks as they walk along the water, voice way more timid than the younger boy is used to.

he hums as interrogation, showing that he’s listening. with the only sound as the gentle waves, hyeongjun is confident that wonjin heard it.

“where do we stand right now?”

hyeongjun’s steps pause. “on the bay,” he says slowly, just because he know it’ll make wonjin laugh in the loud way he does, the way hyeongjun adores.

sobering up as he tugs hyeongjun along, wonjin clarifies his thoughts. “no, i’m asking if you like me the way i like you.”

“well, first of all,” hyeongjun says, looking down at their hands swinging so close yet so distant, “what’s this way you like me?”

wonjin’s deep breath is audible and hyeongjun feels a twinge of guilt: for all the times wonjin made him nervous, had he ever thought about the other side? he’s pulled away from any profound thought when wonjin speaks up. “i don’t know how to describe it, jjunie, i just like you. i’d come up with any excuse to go to the parlor. i’m disappointed if i show up and you’re not there. i wanna do this more often, just you and me.” wonjin laughs shortly. “i don’t wanna read too much into it but it seems that i have a crush on you, doesn’t it?”

“wow, okay.” suppressing the feeling of his heart accelerating in his chest, hyeongjun lets out a shallow sigh. “can i tell you the way i like you? my heart skips a beat every single time you call me jjunie. i find a new reason to like you whenever i see you. there’s something minhee said about me, that i don’t need to be taken care of but i want to be. i think that’s why i like you so much, seeing the way you treat the kids.” hyeongjun pauses. wonjin doesn’t intervene. “i definitely have a crush on you, wonjin.”

he hears nothing but the ocean waves and a small giggle from wonjin before the elder boy gently wraps a hand around hyeongjun’s, pulling them together to intertwine. “is now a good time to tell you that i also go to school in seoul?”

focus shifting from the warmth of wonjin’s hands, hyeongjun’s head snaps in his direction. “and you never thought to tell me sooner? i wouldn’t have waited so long if i knew we had a chance,” hyeongjun mumbles and wonjin reaches over with his other hand to touch his cheek.

“you’re so cute,” the elder boy says casually and hyeongjun’s cheeks turn pink. his theory was right, it does feel different coming from wonjin. “jjunie, will you be my boyfriend?”

hyeongjun is already bracing for impact when he nods, giving wonjin the green light for a crushing hug. wonjin’s arms and chest are just as warm as his hands. hyeongjun reasons out that wonjin is simply a warm person.

in wonjin’s embrace, hyeongjun sees his past and his future: he sees this small town, his awkward high school years and disastrous training period at the parlor; he sees bustling seoul, a city he’s still acquainting with even as he walks the streets with feigned confidence, class participation a perfect ten as he recalls his hard work to pay the bill and the chip on his shoulder. and of course, written all over that timeline in fresh ink is wonjin finding his place in the story of another, warm and loving and song hyeongjun’s favorite person.

**Author's Note:**

> congratulations on making it this far!!! if you have a kernel of writing ability,, please contribute to wj/hj!! we need more of them!!! had a lot of fun writing this one because mutual pining is one of my fav tropes, i wanna add some more hamlem into my mix of wips
> 
> hope to be back sometime in august with another work!! gonna try and grind out some that have been sitting for too long before i start uni D: until then stay safe~ and leave some kudos or comments that would be nice too. hmu on twitter @deuichas or at curiouscat.me/tongham!


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